Category Archives: Get to the Point

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The winter is long, the sidewalks slippery, and public spaces, not entirely at rest, are in hibernation. This is the season to reflect on some past stories: Neighborhood Narratives. View all the stories and Get to the Point here!

This story from Point teen, Stephanie Dexter about Peabody Street Park… when will the snow melt?

The winter is long, the sidewalks slippery, and public spaces, not entirely at rest, are in hibernation. This is the season to reflect on some past stories: Neighborhood Narratives. View all the stories and Get to the Point here!

This story from an On Point teen participant – they’re doing some great things there in that revamped building in Palmer Cove – at the end of Leavitt Street. Go by and say hello!

The winter is long, the sidewalks slippery, and public spaces, not entirely at rest, are in hibernation. This is the season to reflect on some past stories: Neighborhood Narratives. View all the stories and Get to the Point here!

This story from Mayor Kim Driscoll – Do you remember Larry’s Roast Beef? Have you been to Celia’s?

The winter is long, the sidewalks slippery, and public spaces, not entirely at rest, are in hibernation. This is the season to reflect on some past stories: Neighborhood Narratives. View all the stories and Get to the Point here!

This one is from Point resident and artist, Sue Grillo. And it is about snow!

The “ReImagine A Lot” dynamic participation project seeks to engage residents to imagine what an abandoned lot could be. The project consists of two parts that reinforce each other: the first part is a physical component that provides the space for civic-social events; in turn, these social events provide the workforce to create and maintain the physical component. Over the course of eight weeks, various stakeholders helped build a mural, a community bulletin board, stump seats, and a suggestion board.

Point Participants apply primer paint to stump seats

The finished colorful seats at the lot

The civic-cultural events included: the Point Neighborhood Association meeting in the open air, a recycling presentation with games, and a community barbecue with local band The Dejas. The project collected community-supported suggestions for the permanent transformation of the space.

Point Neighborhood Association meeting at the Lot

Opportunities

The project occurred in the open over the course of eight weeks every Friday from 3 – 6 in the afternoon. This provided the opportunity to create a small ritual. Kids regularly came and asked if they could help. Eventually, people knew and expected it would happen at its regular time on Friday afternoons. The installation provided participants with an outlet for creative and productive civic work. The physical project provided people with the opportunity to ReImagine what this abandoned lot could be. The civic-cultural events provided the opportunity for social interactions. As for the long-term opportunities, it is still too early to tell.

Recycling Games at the Lot

Final Community BBQ at the Lot

Challenges

The abandoned lot is located in the densest neighborhood in Salem MA. The Point neighborhood suffers from an image problem, which is perpetuated by outsiders and insiders alike. One of the challenges in creating public art is also its potential destruction. At the beginning of the project, some residents expressed concerns that it would, in fact, be destroyed. Happily this never happened; we imagine it is due to the fact that the community itself participated in building it. Several weeks into the project, one young participant told me of how she witnessed some young boys throwing rocks at the project. She said she went and stopped them since, after all, she “had helped paint it too.” Over two short months, community helpers began to emerge. Carlo, a third floor neighbor who had looked on the progress for several weeks, came down one Friday afternoon and gifted a painting he had made to add to the walls of art. It was to Carlo we went when we needed an outlet to power The Dejas’ performance the day of the BBQ.

The Dejas and community kids play music during the BBQ

We hope that with enough community support, a few things will happen:

1. We will determine the permanent best use(s) for the lot.

2. We will have community support to realize the project.

3. We will have the support to maintain it once it is realized.

4. We will have a great working model for how we can do this again.

5. If we do it again in the same neighborhood, residents are already familiar with the “dialogue” nature of the project and we will build trust, relationships, and a stronger community.